Editorial opinion
Lobbies in Congress are for
more than waiting.
Milk, oil and other multi-million
dollar interests wheel and deal in
these lobbies to get financial
breaks from the government. It's
legal. It's a fact of life. It's good
business.
Students, who also compose a
multi-million dollar interest, college
education, have no lobby in
Congress. Sure, we have the
National'Student Lobby which, five
lackluster years after its establish
ment, is having to declare bank
ruptcy. And the National Student
Association is another pseudo
lobbying venture on the part of
students. Last month, one more as
yet unnamed organization was for
med to take on the problems of
large state universities.
`''''''''' Inside story on news coverage
Success a state of mind,
knowing what you want
Gail Goring is a success. I know,
because he told me he is. Gail owns five
firearms manufacturing plants along the
East Coast and a chain of Burger Kings
in Reading, Pa. However, the firearms
plants are doing much better than the
Burger Kings. Gail barely breaks even
with his restaurants. Mainly because
most people would rather shoot bullets
than eat hamburgers.
His firearms plants have made Gail a
millionaire, just like his father was. His
father made his first million when he was
45 years old. He made guns, too. Gall
Inherited four gun factories from his
father. That's how Gall got started . in
guns. He got started In Burger Kings
because his wife thought that It might be
fun to own something other than gun
factories. Gail listened to her, but It
turned out to be a bad Investment. "You
don't get much return, you know
profit" Is what Gall always says about
his Burger Kings.
Gall considers himself a success
because he became a millionaire. That
was something he had wanted to do ever
since he graduated from high school. He
also wanted a big house and a Mercedes
Benz. He now owns a large, Imposing,
32•r00m house on Hilton Head Island.
And every other weekday, he drives to
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In the lobby
Penn State, a member of the
National Student Lobby, declined
to go to the annual NSL con
ference in Washington this week
because of the organization's
shaky financial base. Penn State
never joined the National Student
Association because NSA was
considered too interested in non
student issues and not concerned
enough with large state univer
sities.
The new lobby is designed to
deal primarily with tuition increases
and other economic and academic
problems of large , universities. Its
architects, however, are not sure
that it will do the job of student lob
bying, either.
USG considers these lobbying
efforts as more of an information
source than an active and effective
his office in Savannah in a 1974
champagne Mercedes. Success.
Gail is a success because he built up
his father's business. He added an
additional factory to the modest flock of
four that his father handed down to him.
Gail bought out the Buntline Flintlock
Company and added It to his collection.
Gail says it was a shrewd business deal.
Actually, Buntline sold the business
because he had killed his son In a
hunting accident. Buntline swore he'd
never produce another gun, so he sold
his factory to Gall. It only cost Gall as
much as he had paid for his 1974
champagne Mercedes. Gall made a
killing, as they say. Anyway, again, It
was success for Gail Goring.
Gall Goring does exist, and his story
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body. There is now no unified
national lobbying • effort for stu
dents. The closest thing to an ef
fective student lobby is the various
state Public Interest Research
Groups. Pennsylvania does not
have a PIRG.
Legislators decide tuition levels
and state grants to needy stu
dents. Legislators, not university
presidents, ultimately decide the
university's philosophy and ac
tivities, the type and number of
students enrolled.
The time is long since passed
when students should , form an ef
fective national lobby and claim the
privileges any other group is due.
College students are voters, tax
payers and full citizens. We are at
least as important as dairy cows
and oil derricks.
Students need a lobby.
Last week, about 6,400 people voted In
Undergraduate Student Government
elections. And confusion reigned in the
Collegian office.
You see, 6,400 is not one half of the
student population. It is not one third of
those eligible to vote. Is is a small
group, made up, for the most part, of
freshmen and firebrands.
There will be some who will accuse
The Collegian for the small turn out,
alleging that this newspaper's "negative
approach" caused rampant apathy. But
last year, The Collegian set aside
considerably more space for elections
coverage, and even endorsed can
didates. The result? Another 200 voters
stormed the polls.
At the same time, University Coalition
scheduled and postponed a tuition rally
several times, all the while protesting
that Collegian coverage was lessening
the impact of their efforts by placing
stories on inside pages. Not to be
outdone, USG officials bitched that
University Coalition had received front
page space, while a meeting between
USG representatives and Harrisburg
is true. If you have the ability to un
derstand the reality of a Creator of the
universe, then accepting Gail Goring
should not be difficult. Gail Is a god.
Many people envy Gail Goring. Many
people wish they were him, especially
when they see him in his 1974 cham
pagne Mercedes. Many people wish
success, like Gail's, would pick them up
by their boot straps and carry them off to
heaven. Except Herman Trout.
Herman Trout drives a 1985 Ford
Galaxy. His boots have no straps. He Is
an idealist. He wants to succeed, but,
like a fool, he doesn't place a pot of gold
at the end of hid rainbow. His desired
goals are a naive assortment of fairy tale
endings. He is as unrealistic as a trip to
the nearest star. Trout doesn't know
what he wants to do for the rest of his
life. Most people would call him a crazy,
mixed-up kid.
Trout thinks people like Gall Goring
are not really successes. He believes
that they equate money with success.
Trout doesn't desire money. He says you
can't buy happiness with It. That is
about the only thing Trout is sure of. He
wants to achieve his success, whatever
It may be, not Inherit it. He desires
happiness. Trout is, Undoubtedly, .an
ass. I'm almost sure of that.
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legislators found a small space on page
three.
I think you begin to see my point. USG
and University Coalition have never been
pleased with the . coverage their
organizations received; I doubt that they
ever shall be pleased. So The Collegian
and its editors are forever debating
whether these organizations are
receiving. too much attention, or too
little.
•
, v • • Jerry
. , .
Schwartz
First, USG. Those 6,400 people who
voted in the election seem to be symp
tomatic of USG's position at the
University, that of fifth wheel on a baby
carriage. Unlike most governments, USG
Letters to the Editor
Editor's note: The editorial In question did not urge students
to refrain from voting. It did say that the Collegian could not
find a candidate to endorse for the presidency of USO.
Editorials are the opinion of the editor and not necessarily the
same as those of the editorial staff.
Sticks - and stones
TO THE EDITOR: We are writing you in 'hopes of placing the
american press back in a responsible position to Its audience.
Our general impression of the free press has been that It
should promote democracy and the fundamental rights
associated therewith. Your paper, however, has failed to
uphold one of our fundamental rights voting.
Particularly, Ms. McCauley, we are referring to your editorial
"Election" In the March 31 edition of The Daily Collegian. In
the fourth paragraph of the editorial, you state, "...we believe
that the official representative of 32,000 students is potentially
very Important." The significant word here, Ms. McCauley, Is
"potentially" implying that candidates might have the ability
to develop leadership qualities. We believe the best way to
develop this potentiality Is tq vote, and elect a reasonably
qualified candidate to the office. This, however, is in contrast
to your morbid attempt to discourage voting and thus the
development of any hopeful potential.
Later In the article you state, "Last year, about one fifth of
the students elected a candidate who became a good
president." Here, the principal word le "became," connoting
that you felt Joe Scouter was possibly an undesirable can
didate, but that he did, in fact, do igood job as president. This
alone, Ms. McCauley, should be evidence enough for you to
get out and vote, hoping that the candidate you select will
attempt to work for the students.
Near the end of your editorial opinion you claim that USG
has ".;.only the opportunity to influence administrators..." We
hope; -Me. McCauley, you realize that should we all not vote,
we would not have to concern ourselves - with Influencing
administrators, or for that matter anyone. When we don't give a
damn enough to vote for some kind of representative, then who
will respond to our needs? . .
Henceforth, Ms. McCauley, we believe It would be in your
interest, as well as In the interest of 32,000 students here on
campus to carefully prepare, I.e. think, write,rewrlte, and most
Importantly rethink, statements of such a serious nature. At
the same time, we do not expect to see any criticism about the
76-'77 Undergraduate Student Government in your Collegian,
because you stayed home on election day, choosing not to
exercise one of your fundamental rights voting.
Duane R. Dunlap, President
East Residence Association
Gary R. Steffy, Editor-in-chief
LA VIE '76
TO THE EDITOR: You have failed as a responsible medium.
An entire generation fought to wipe out apathy from college
campuses, and you dealt a death-blow to all their efforts.
Student apathy has run rampant on college campuses since
the very early sixties, and just when it looks like the USG
elections might whip up some level of activism in some portion
of the normally uninterested student body, you tell the student
body not to exercise their right to vote. Maybe you didn't mean
it that way. But when The Collegian, the only semblance to a
responsible newspaper that is relad by nearly all University
students, tells those students that it did not feel that any of the
candidates were capable enough to hold office, and therefore
chose not to vote, the effect is tremendous. You are feeding
apathy It's mightiest fuel, non7participation.
It is non-participation in marches and protests that shackles
the sincere efforts of the University Coalition. It is non
participation by students that explains why Penna. still has
archaic marijuana and drinking laws.
And it is non-participation in student government that
makes it the farce It is.
has no inherent powers it serves at
the pleasure of the administration. And
the petty politicking and backbiting that
has been part of USG In the past has not
helped to breed any allegiance, either.
But on the other hand, USG is the
official representative of students on
this campus no other organization
can say that. While USG has won few
major victories, minor battles, such as
'the Route R fight and others, have
shown that USG can be effective. And
given the prospect of faculty
unionization, is it podsible that USG
could play a larger role?
And a larger/question: do these
pluses on USG's side of the ledger in
dicate that they deserve space on the
front page more often than they get it
now?
University Coalition stirs similar
questions. They, too, are a small group,
numbering somewhere around 80 people
out of 30,000. Some leaders are not
. students, although all have at one time
,or another paid tuition.
The problem posed by U.C. is a dif
ficult one, a problem that has confronted
If you are not a part of the solution you are a part of the
problem. It is obvious where you stand. It is obvious where the
University administration stands. It is to the great fortune of
the student body that at least some fraction of it cares enough
to hold on to the last dying ember of concern.
You have .undone perrnanantly any chance of waking up a
disaffected electorate to realizing the magnitude of the power
it holds.
As a fairly new editor you should seriously reconsider 1
whether or not you are capable of handling the power that the
press holds. If this is a sample of yoL.: editorial policy, you
have lost all credibility as a responsible newspaper.
TO THE EDITOR: Well, once again, The Collegian has
proven Its Inability to cover anything effectively.
The March 31 issue of the paper Is one of the most pltlfUl
examples of Journallam that we have ever had the misfortune to'
read.
The staff is certainly entitled to express their opinion In an'
editorial, but an intelligent writer would support that opinion.
Anyone can point out the problems, however, one would
expect a responsible source of information and expression to
present a solution. The Collegian did not, something which
obviously says a great deal about the credibility of this
Publloatlon as a paper. If the staff felt that there were no
worthwhile candidates, they should have voiced that opinion
two Wee Tulip, lane there was still time foiiiiiiiiii - Wenter the
race with different platforms. Encouraging students not to
vote la anything but constructive. If you're "staying home"
Instead of voting, we don't expect to see any editorials
criticizing USG nett year.
The prime example of poor coverage, however, was the
"USG Elections Analysis;" which was anything. but an
analysis. Instead it was a play-ground for frustrated critics,
'which is nothing short of disgusting. It is entirely inexcusable
that there were no references made to the good points of the
platforms. By cutting each and every one of them to shred's,
The Collegian has done a great diseervloli to of us. We are
both quite familiar with the issues (apparently more than you
are), and there were valid points made by each candidate.
Anyone who does not give credit to those who do care enough
to participate can hardly be considered competent, or even
semi-professional. Respect le due to all the candidates, whose
main aim was student Involvement.
No wonder there are suggestions concerning the poseiblilty
of developing an alternative student publication. You call this a
newspaper?
dtatCollegian
SHEILA McCAULEY
Editor
Editorial policy is determined by the Editor
Opinions expressed by the editors and staff of The Daily Collegian
are not necessarily those of the University administration, faculty or
students.
BOARD OF MANAGERS: LOCAL ADVERTISING MANAGER, Joan
Kirschner; ASSISTANT ADVERTISING MANAGER, Peter Sichel;
NATIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER, Kim Batey; OFFICE PER
SONNEL MANAGER, Andi Krantz
journalists for years. Put bluntly, should
the people who make the most noise get ,
•the most coverage? University Coalition
leaders are adept at using the media
you'll remember many of them from the,
battle over non-union lettiice," and
various and sundry battles over unfair
labor conditions in State College. They
have even frankly admitted that they
hope to manipulate coverage to suit their
own purposes.
Should , we allow ourselveS to be used?
Regardless of what you feel about U.C.'s
methods or the simplicity of their alms,'
they are still devoted to keeping tuition
down. Should the righteousness of their
goal, and their vocal belligerence
preserve for them a place on page one?
We have been grappling with these
problems for year% and I confess we
have found no answers. We are- a
newspaper published by students --- we'
are not part of U.C.k or USG. We function
in the same - way every newspaper
functions ; any decision we make In
news judgment is just an honest guess
at what is important and interesting and ,
what isn't.
Paul D. Borlsh
3rd-external letters, arts and sciences
Jam!Lee Wlnts
Bth-political science
USG Senator
Stephanie Kohan
Bth-accounting
Campaign worker
NADINE KINSEY
Business Manager
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